Pam Bondi Calls Out Anderson Cooper For Promoting ‘Anger and Hate’ In Interview

Anderson Cooper went viral this week when he put Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on blast for presenting herself as an advocate for the LGBT community despite fighting the legalization of same-sex marriage last year. Now, Bondi is striking back, claiming Cooper went too far.

Bondi called into a radio show and accused Cooper of filming the ambush interview segment outside a hospital where “people were clinging for their lives.” She would go on to claim that she wanted to raise awareness about how charities and funeral homes were cheating victims with price-gouging tactics, but claims that Cooper instead sought to promote “anger and hate” with his tactics.

“Anderson Cooper is the champion of the LGBT community, and he could’ve been helping people yesterday, so I was disappointed in that,” Bondi said. “I was extremely disappointed in that. And it wasn’t just the time nor the place for that yesterday, because all it did was encourage anger and hate, and families who were trying to help to probably not trust my office and the 14 advocates we brought in who were helping trying to help them get compensation to bury their loved ones.”

Source: YouTube

I don’t agree with Bondi receiving hate mail for her interview (which has actually happened since it first aired), and I feel it’s admirable that she wants to turn the spotlight on the victims and the ways in which they’re being mistreated by those who should be helping them. But I also think it’s perfectly valid of Cooper to hold her to a higher standard of scrutiny when her current actions prove to be at odds with the beliefs she’s held about the LGBT lifestyle in recent years. I didn’t feel he overstepped his bounds in questioning her motives. But I imagine the controversy between the two will blow over soon enough, particularly since there are bigger issues at hand in the wake of the tragedy in Orlando. If nothing else, Bondi’s actions towards the LGBT community from here on out will determine just how sincere she is in her attempts to help.

But what do you think about Bondi’s response to Anderson Cooper? Sound off in the comments!